Controller for electric motors.



H. A. STEEN.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1910.

Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORN EY Patented Oct' 14, 12110 INVENTOR w j m 2 SHEBTS SHEET 2.

V WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY PENNSYLVANIA, Assienon TO WESTINGHOUSE nALFnaiir A. srnnn, on rrra snonen,

nnno'rnrc am) ivr'anngcaoronme COMPANY, A connoanrion or PENNSYLVANIA.

= con'rnontnn non nrnc'rnronorons.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be -it;knownthat I, H DAN A. STEEN, a subject of the King of Norway, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of: Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin 3 Controllers for Electric Motors, of which h V the following is a specification.

My invention relates tocontrollers for electric motors and ithas. for its object to provide a motor-operated controller of the face plate type that shall be adapted for use as a master controller in governing the circuit connections for a plurality of 1nde-' pendently operated control switches.

According to my present invention, I provide a face plate controller having a retatable contact arm which is adapted ,to suecessively engage a plurality of stationary contact members for directly or indirectly governing an electric motor. The movable arm of the'controller is connected to an electric driving motor through a train of gearof the movable arm.

ing the members of which are so constructed and arranged that a continuous rotation of the motor produces a stepby-step motion By this means, the

movable arm is moved rapidly from one of its positions to the next, while, at the same time, a time element is introduced whereby the motor which is governed may be gradu-,

ally accelerated.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is a partially sectional elevation of a controller constructed in accordance with my invention and Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to that of Fig.1 in which the controller face plate is disclosed. Fig. 3 is a-fragmentary view,

at rightangles to that'of Fig. 1, showing certain of the parts in a slightly difierent position in order to disclose them more fully, and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail iews of the limit switch and the contact-finger of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings,- the structure here-shown comprises a vertical slab or plate 1 of insulating mate-rialwhich may constitutes panel of a switchboard, a bracket 2 projecting outwardly therefrom,- a rotatable shaft 3 on which a contact-bearing arm 4 'is mounted, a plurality of cooperating stationary contact members 5 and -6 arranged in concentric circles on the plate vl, an electric driving motor 7 by which a rotatable movement of the contact arm t is produced, and an intermediate train of gear- '1 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 01311.14, 1913. Application filed January 3, 1910 Serial in). 536,160.

ing 8. The motor 7 is mounted at the outer end of the bracket 2 and the gearing 8 is disposedjbetween the motor and the face plate ,1 and comprises a stationary bearing frame9 on which a shaft 10 is rotatably supported and from which a stud 11 projects, gear wheels 12 and 13, pinions 14 and 15 and a pawl 19. The pinion 14- is secured to one end of the motor shaftand meshes with the, gear wheel 13 which is secured to the outer end of the shaft 10. A gear; wheel 12 is driven by pinion 15 which is secured to one end of the shaft 10, a double reduction in speed being produced by the gearing be tween the motor shaft and the gear wheel 12.

A pawl holder 17 is secured to the outer end of the stud 11 by a screw 18 and projects downwardly therefrom, as shown in Fig. 1. A pawl 19 is pivotally secured to the lower end of the holder 17 and is pro vided with projections 20 which are forced into engagement with the teeth of a gear wheel 21 by means of a spring 22 which is secured to the pawl holder 17. The gear wheel 12 is provided with a projection 23 in the form of a tooth which forces the projections 20 away from the wheel 21 by engaging the beveled side of one of them and then engages one of the teeth of the said wheel and causes rotative movement of the wheel through a slight angle. movement of the wheel 12 carries its tooth 23 away from the projections 20 and the wheel 21, whereupon the pawl 19 is forced inward by the spring 22 to lock the wheel 21 until the" wheel 12 hasmade a complete movement of rotation.

The gear wheel 21 secured to and insulated from a flange 24 by means of screws 26 and an insulating disk 25. The flange 24 is integral with thehub 27 of the arm 4 which isse'cured to the rotatable shaft 3. The arm 4- extends outwardly from the hub Further 27 in opposite directions and is provided".

with a pair of contact fingers 28 at each end, which may be of any suitable structure,

but I prefer to employ devices which are similar to those shown in detail in Fig. 5 of the drawings. One end of the arm 4: is provided with a projection 29 having a roller 30 which is adapted to engage arms 31 of a pair of limit switches 32 which are located at opposite ends of. the normal movement paths of the controller and serve to interrupt. the circuit of the'inotor 7 in no the extreme positions are reached.

Each of the limit switches comprises a rotatable member having a contact finger S t, a ratchet tooth or shoulder and a spring 36. The arm 31 projects from a collar 37 having a cam projection 38 and is connected to a holding, pawl 39 by means of a spring 40. The contact finger 3 1 is movable into and out of engagement with a stationary contact terminal el by the above v specified means, the operation of which will now be described. When the arm 31 is freed from engagement by the roller 30, the pawl 39 engages the shculder 35 and the finger 3 1.

is in contact with the terminal 41. Movement of the arm 31 by means of the projection 29 and its roller 30 exerts tension upon the spring and bends the spring 36 until the cam projection 38 forces the pawl out of engagement with the shoulder 35 whenthe spring 36 will effect a quick movement of the finger 8e away from the contact terminal 41. As soon as the arm 31 is released the spring 40 will cause the parts to assume their normal positions. It will be understood that limit switches having different structural characteristics may be employed, if desired. I

When it is desired to adjust'the movable contact-bearing arm 4, the motor is operated in the, opposite direction and, as already pointed out, it drives the gear wheel 12 at relatively low speed through pinion 14-,

gear who-e113, jack shaft 10 and pinion 15.

The continued rotation of the gear wheel 12 brings the projection 23 into engagement with the teeth of the gear wheel 21 once in every revolution of the wheel 12, the projection being adapted to temporarily release the pawl which looks the gear wheel 21. The arrangement of parts such that the pawl projections 20 mesh with the gear teeth of the wheel 21 in succession. In this way, step by step, rotation of the gear-wheel 21 is produced and, since the gear teeth of this wheel are arranged to correspond in number and position to the control positions of the arm 4, the arm is moved from position to position without possibility of resting between regular control positions.

The operation of the motor may be governed by push button switches or by some other simple. controlling means so that the device is well adapted for governing electrically operated printingpresses and similar mechanisms in which it is desirable to control the driving'motor from various points or stations.

I do not wish to be limited to the specific structure illustrated in the drawings since it is evident that structural modifications may be effected within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a controller for electric motors, the combination with cooperating stationary and movable contact members, of an electric driving motor for the movable contact member, and an interposed driving connection comprising a gear wheel operatively connected to the movable member, a toothengaging means for locking the gear Wheel against movement, and a single means operated by the electric motor to successively displace the tooth-engaging meansand turn the gear wheel through a small angle.

2. In a controller for electric motors, the combination with a slab or face plate of insulating material, a set of stationary contact members thereon and a cooperating movable contact mefnber, of an electric driving motor for the movable member, and an interposed drivingbonnection comprising a gear wheel operatively connected to the contact member, means forlocking the gear wheel, a continuously operating motor and a single means operated by said motor to intermittingly release the gear wheel and move it through a slight angle at each rotation' of the driving motor.

3. In a controller for electric motors, the combination with a slab or face plate of insulating material, a set of stationary contact members thereon and a cooperating movable contact member, of an electric drivin'g motor for the movable member,- of an interposed driving connection comprising a gearing between the motor and the rotatable member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 23rd day of Dec,

HALFDAN A. STEEN.

Witnesses:

EDWIN LEHR, B, B. 'Hmns. 

